A

SERMON OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED,

PREACHED AT PAUL'S CROSS, THE FRIDAY BEFORE EASTER, COMMONLY CALLED GOOD FRIDAY.

A. D. 1570.

WRITTEN AND DEDICATED TO ALL SUCH AS LABOUR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN IN CONSCIENCE, TO BE READ

FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT.

our redemption, scarce have we leisure once to think thereof or if we think a little, it sinketh not down, it tarrieth no with us. We hear of the glory of Christ, but we feel i not, we talk of Christ, but have no experience of him, no acquaintance with him; we honour him with lips, but ou heart doth not hunger after him. Outwardly we profes him, but inwardly we pass not for him. For then is Chris not passed for, when any thing is preferred before him. An this is the cause why, amongst us christians, vice is so rif the devil so strong, by his sorceries and witchcrafts to hu and enchant us, as he doth, and man not able to withstan him; because Christ dwelleth not in us, who only ca overcome the devil. For without Christ man can do nothin

Wherefore, to awaken the hearts of such christians, these drowsy days of carnal security, to the contemplatio of the glorious kingdom of Christ, I was the more willin at the request of my friends to condescend in bestowing little pains herein. And partly for the papist's cause, to them some good if I could; who, albeit they profess whole history of Christ's passion as we do, yet by th doctrine it seems, they go no further than the outward h tory. They make much ado about the cross of Christ, they know not his cross, and see little more in the passi of Christ than the sensible man* may do. They see h poor, sweating, bleeding, falsely accused, wrongfully pressed, wounded, scourged, derided, crowned with thor nailed, crucified, hanging upon the cross naked, pierd dead, and buried. All this they see, and his miracles a they confess which he wrought, and that he rose ag the third day, and ascended up, &c. And because t grant the same to be the Son of God, therefore they m nify and worship all the outward implements that wen his blessed passion; the nails, the cross and timber, spear, the crown of thorns, his coat and tunicle, &c. herein standeth almost the sum total of their religion. this is not enough. To know Christ Jesus crucified, to know him rightly, it is not sufficient to stay in these ward things; we must go further than the sensible r we must look inwardly with a spiritual eye into spir things. Neither is it perfectly enough for us to know Christ was crucified, that he rose again, and ascended but here is need of God's Holy Spirit and revelatio open unto us wherefore he died, wherefore he rose a * By the outward senses, human reasoning.

ereof; h not feel it n, nor

Out our

profess = Christ n. And so rife, to hurt thstand nly can nothing.

tians, in mplation e willing towing a se, to do rofess the - by their ward hisChrist, yet e passion y see him

fully opth thorns, 1, pierced, racles also ose again cause they they mag. at went to imber, the &c. And igion. But ucified, and n these outsible man, to spiritual know that scended, &c. evelation, to rose again,

-g.

and for whom, that is, for our sins and our justificat
To know, not the story of his death, but the power of
death, and the virtue of his resurrection; to know what
crucifying here in earth wrought above in heaven and
derneath in hell; how by the blood of his cross the la
satisfied, God's wrath killed, his favour reconciled, all thi
pacified both in heaven and in earth, the devil conque
death vanquished, hell gates destroyed. To know
crucified sacrifice of Christ's body to be a perfect delivera
of all his people from the beginning to the end of the wo
to be a full satisfaction once and ever for all our sins,
absolute discharge and acquittance for all our debts; bri
to be a free justification, redemption, and righteousn
before God for ever, to all them that believe in him, with
any other means or help adjoined to him. And this i
know aright Christ Jesus crucified. The knowle
whereof seemeth to be wanting in the church of Rome
may sensibly appear by their doctrine and institutes.
their auricular confession and satisfaction for sins, by t
daily sacrifice, propitiatory masses, trentals, and purgat
by merits of supererogation, invocation of saints, the po
pardons and dispensations; finally by all the proceedi
of that church, even from the holy water stock to the ha
ing pix on the high altar, which all being packed in
fardel,*
as in Pandora's box together, are but altoge
a mere ignorance of Christ Jesus crucified, and the
take their ground and beginning.

Wherefore, to remove this disease of ignorance pa
from these above rehearsed, whereby they may be redu
into the king's highway of their salvation; but especi
for you that are mourning in conscience, to comfort yo
Christ Jesus crucified, whom the terror of the law too m
oppresses, I was so much the rather persuaded to
this sermon published; that Christ Jesus might not
be preached to the ears of some, but also printed, yea
painted, if I might, to the eyes of many.
In which
mon, although I have not fully followed in speech and f
every thing so precisely as was spoken, yet, so far as
membrance could serve me, I have not much digressed f
the sentence, order, and principal points in the said ser
contained; adding withal some things more which I tho
before to have spoken, and either for abundance of ma
or lack of memory, were forgotten. Also certain o
Bundle, pack.

things then not spoken I have here inserted upon necessary occasion, yet conveniently serving for the purpose, and necessarily for the time, especially in two points; one concerning the daily sacrifice of the mass, the other touching the possibility of the law; with certain other additions incident, whereby this sermon, I must grant, is grown somewhat more large in printing, than it was in preaching.

And although the time now I see so miserable, that it avails little or nothing to take pains either in preaching or printing, when men, wholly given over to worldly studies, have little leisure and less desire either to hear sermons or to read books, be the argument ever so grave and comfortable—yet, notwithstanding, forsomuch as the Lord hath a remnant of some faithful servants which walk after their Lord and God with a perfect heart, and are not hearers only, but seekers also of his kingdom; and especially for your cause that labour and are laden in conscience, wheresoever or whatsoever ye are, in whom the Lord hath wrought an earnest hunger, and hearty seeking for his kingdom; for you most principally I have penned this sermon Of Christ Crucified, and to you specially I dedicate and commend the same; desiring the same Lord Jesus crucified for us, that you in reading hereof may receive such spiritual refreshing to your souls, and high courage of faith in Christ Jesus, that neither Satan may deceive you, nor the law terrify you, nor death confound you, nor sin oppress you, nor conscience captive you, nor hell gates prevail over you; but that you, rightly understanding with all saints, what is the hope of your calling, the riches of your inheritance, the greatness of his power towards you; and what is the breadth, length, and profundity, and what is the superadmirable love of knowledge of Christ Jesus crucified, may superabound in all heavenly consolation, Eph. i. and also with a holy pride may triumph in Christ Jesus. In whom, as I wish to you all spiritual benediction and goodness, so I beseech you likewise to pray for me your fellow-brother, servant, and debtor in the Lord to you and to all others; who preserve both you and us all with you, in these dangerous days, from all wickedness, to his everlasting kingdom. Amen.

OF

CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

FIRST for the ground and argument of my sermon, I shall desire you, christian audience, to give ear unto a few words which I will recite to you out of St. Paul, written unto the Corinthians, 2 Cor. v. The words are these,

We

For Christ, therefore, or in Christ's name, we come to you as messengers, even as God himself desiring you. pray you, for Christ's sake, that you will be reconciled unto God. For him which knew no sin, God hath made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God by him, &c. 2 Cor. v.

In this parcel of scripture here is brought unto you, christian audience, a high message from a high and mighty Prince, of a high matter and weighty importance. Con. cerning the which message, I have to notify three things unto you, by order of the letter as it lieth.

FIRST, Beginning with Him who is the sender of this message.

SECONDLY, To speak of them which are the messengers. THIRDLY, To show what is the message itself here sent

unto us.

I. As touching the first, St. Paul, to prepare and stir up the minds of the Corinthians to more attention, expresses first the person and author of this message, in whose name he cometh; saying, In the name of Christ we come as ambassadors, &c. In the name, saith he, of Christ. Wherein we see the words of Christ our Saviour rightly accomplished, wherein he, prophesying before of this his apostle and messenger, speaketh to Ananias in this wise, saying, Go to him, for he is an elect vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and before the children of Israel, Acts ix.

In like manner, the other apostles also, whensoever they come, either showing whose servants they are, or to teach any doctrine, or to work miracles, they ever bear the name of Christ before them. With him they begin, and with